Can feed



Oct. 10, 1939. F. D. ;I|API1.L\J-I r '2,175,255

GAN FEED Filed Feb. 9, V19:58

J/Qfl.

ATTORNEY.

Patented lOct. 10, l193,9 i y .v

UNITED STATES PATENT oFElcE Frank D. Chapman, Berlin, Wis. Application 9,((1219381,9 No. 189,490

My present invention relates generally to lminvolving the combination of a feed screw with provements in mechanisms for automatically either a can supply chute'or a can feed disk. or handling a succession of containers'or vrecep- Both, in such manner that the cans are quickly tacles, and relates more speeically to improveand positively fed to the screw most effectively ments in the construction and operation of can and without jamming. 5 feeds. A further specific object of the invention is to In general, my present invention contemplatesl provide an automatically functioning can feed the provision of improved can feed mechanism which is, especially adapted to feed empty upfor quickly and effectively transferring cans or right sanitary cans of various sizes, to a conthe like, in succession, from one locality to anstantly revolving mechanism from a compara- 10 other along a relatively irregular course. tively irregular source of supply.

Numerous different types of can feeds for Still another specific object of my present intransferring tin cans or the like from one place n vention is the provision of a simple and durable to another and under various conditions, have can feeding assemblage, which is dependable in l5 heretofore been proposed and used commercialoperation and which enables most effective utili- 15 ly, and While many of these prior mechanisms are zation of a worm or screw feeder. relatively satisfactory for most uses, they do not These and other specific objects and advanadequately meet certain unusual conditions of tages of the present invention, will be apparent operation. Considerable difficulty has been enfrom the following detailed description.

countered in feeding some kinds of containers, A clear conception of one embodiment of the 20 such as relatively large gallon cans, to rotary invention, and of the mode of constructing and fmers, from bins or similar can supply sources operating can feeds built in accordance with the located laterally of and above these machines, improvement, may be had by referring to the with sufficient speed and accuracy to insure prodrawing accompanying and forming a part of per positioning of the successive cans with rethis specification wherein like reference characg5 spect to the rapidly revolving flller heads or other ters designate the same or similar parts in the mechanism. The cans are usually fed by gravity several views.

from above through chutes, and are ordinarily Fig. 1 is a top view of one of the improved can righted by these chutes and are subsequently defeeds, showing the same associated with a fraglivered from the discharge ends thereof in upment of a can filling machine; and 30 right position to the can hooks of the filling Fig. 2 is an end view of the'improved can mechanism, with the aid of a screw or helical feeding assemblage, likewise showing portions of can feed. Because of the bulk and relatively the filler,

lightweight of the larger cans, and the resultant While the invention has been shown and defrictional resistance set up by air currents, it scribed herein as being specifically embodied in 35 becomes a dimcult problem to positively cona can feed for receiving sanitary cans in horiduct these light and bulky containers along irzontal' position and for delivering the` same in regular paths and with sufficient assurance that succession in vertical or upright position to a they will be properly positioned in succession beliquid filler, it is not the intention to thereby un- 0 neath the rapidly traveling commodity discharge necessarily restrict the scope or utility of the 40 heads of fillers or the like. 'I'he ordinary can improvement. chute and screw feed have proven quite unsatis- The improved can feed mechanism shown in factory for the purpose of feeding thesev large the drawing, comprises in general a horizontal cans in accurately spaced relation to each other feed screw having a helical can transporting and without damaging the containers, especialflight 4 extending around and along a cylindri- 4p;

ly when operating at high speed. cal core 5 which is mounted upon a drive shaft It is therefore a more specic object of my 6 journaled in a stationary frame 'l and rotated present invention, to provide a simple, compact by means of chain gearing 8; a downwardly exand highly efficient can feed especially adapted tending laterally curved can chute '9 which is to deliver large and frail cans in rapid succession curved in a vertical plane disposed at an angle of 50 and in properly spaced relation to each other, approximately forty-five degrees relative to the to a receiving mechanism such as a can lling vertical plane of the axis of the shaft 6; a horimachine or washer. zontal can feed disk I0 rotatable about a ver- Another specific object of the invention is the tical axis by means. of the upright drive shaft Il provision of a new and useful feed mechanism and chain gearing l2 coacting therewith, and 55 being movable beneath the outlet end I3 of the chute 9 and under the helical flight 4; and an adjustable resiliently suspended canguide' rail I4 extending substantially parallel to .the core 5 and shaft 6 and away from the chute end I3 toward the can lling machine above the disk I8.

The worm or screw feedcomprising the flight 4 and core'5 is of relatively standard construction, and extends approximately radially withA respect tothe axis of thefilling machine, and the screw supporting frame 'I may be firmly attached to the filler frame I5. The conventional lling machine to which` the can feed has been applied, comprisesgenerally a can support I6v 'secured to the frame I5 and having, an upper surface in horizontal alinement with the upper surface of the disk I0; an annular seriespf can hooks I'I revolvable above the support I6 to transport the cans I8 in succession around the axis of the machine; a liquid or commodity supply reservoir I9 located above and being re-Iv volvable with the hooks I1, and havingl a series of commodity discharge heads or valves 28 cooperable with the successive cans I8; and a filled can discharge disk 2| having an annular series of can hooks 22 associated therewith.

'I'he can supply chute 9 is formed to receive the cans I8 in horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1 and is'adapted to right these cans and deliver the same in succession land in upright position, onto the` peripheral portion of the revolving disk I8 and into the path of action of the flight 4, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The

delivery end- I3 of the chute 9 is preferably dlrected at an oblique angle relative to the axis of the shaft 6 and substantially tangent to the can circle of the disk I8, so that the constantly revolving disk I8 will pick up the successive advancing upright cans I8 as soon as they leave the chute discharge end I3, and will positively but gently position the cans against the core 5 and in front of the helical flight 4.

'I'he canguide rail I4 is swingably supported.

upon.an adjustable bracket 23, by means of a pivotpin 24, and the swinging portion of this rail is resiliently Yurged toward the feed screw core 5 by means of a spring 25, so as to constantly urge the advancing cans I8 toward this core. 'I'he supporting bracket 23 for the rail I4 and pivot pin 24 is adjustable toward and away from the can feed screw so as to properly coact with cans I8 of dierent diameters, by means of cap screws 26 coacting with slots in the bracket 23 and with the frame I5. A second rail or guide 21 which is swingable through a horizontal slot in and independently of the rail I4, is also swingably supported from the pivot pin 24 and has a guiding projection 28 extending over and along the periphery of the support I 6. The guide 21 is resiliently urged toward the feed screw by means of a spring 29, and the projection 23 is' arrow as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. When the empty cans I8 are delivered in succession to the upper end of the chute 9, they fall by gravity through this chute and are simultaneously righted. The righted lcans are delivered in succession from the discharge end I3 of the chute 8 and are deposited upon the revolving upper surface of the disk I8. The revolution of the disk I8 assisted by the inertia of the moving cans,

and by the angular disposition of the chute 3,

causes the successive cansto be gently delivered against the core 5 and between this core and the guide 'rail I4,` directly in advance of the con'- veyor flight 4. The flight 4 thereafter immediately becomes effective to' urge the successive cans I8 in properly spaced relationship toward the filler, and as the can hooks I1 proceed, the successive cans I8 are picked up and thereafter conveyed beneath the commodity supply receptacle I9 and in proper alinement with the successive discharge valve mechanisms 28. The filled cans are ultimately delivered onto the disk -2I and into the path of travel of the final discharge hooks 22, in an obvious manner.

'From the foregoing description it'will be apparent that the improved can feed constituting the present invention is not only simple, compact and durable in construction, but effectively performs its function of righting the cans and of subsequently delivering the successive cans I8 in properly spaced relationship to the ller mechanism. 'I'he disposition of the chute at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees relative to `the verticalplane ofthe shaft 6 has been found quite important, and the use of the revolving disk I8 in conjunction with the chute 9 and conveyor screw, is also important. This particular association of elements has been found to effectively feed relatively large and light cans in properly spaced relationship and without damaging the cans, even when the rate of feeding is at exceptionally high speeds. The resiliently urged guide rail I4 is also important when' a revolving disk I8 is utilized, since this rail will positively maintain the cans in coaction with the core 5 and will thereby eliminate possible movement of the cans away from the conveyor screw. It has also been found that while the use of a chute and screw alone were not satisfactory for feeding large and light cans, the addition of the disk- I8 to the chute and screw has produced a highly satisfactory and efficient feeding assemblage. If

it is not desired to utilize .the chute 9 in the combination, as where the cans'are fed in horizontally, this chute may be omittedand the disk I8 alone my be utilized in conjunction with th'e feed screw, but the invention has been found especially advantageous lin cases where the righting chute 9 is utilized. The improved can feed may obviously be associated with a illler or with yany other mechanism wherein the cans must be fed in properly spaced relationship, and at high speed. and it is not the intention to limit the scope by the specic disclosure of a particular type of can filling mechanism.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit thisinvention to the exact details of Vconstruction or to the precise mode of operation of the feed mechanism herein shown and described, for various -modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In combination, a feed screw rotatable about an axis, a receptacle supporting disk revolvable in close proximity to said feed screw, and a receptacle supply chute for directing receptacles in succession directly upon said disk and directly face and toward said screw axis at an acute angle;

toward said screw at. approximately a forty-five degree angle relative to the screw axis.

2. In combination, a feed screw rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, a disk having a substantially horizontal receptacle supporting Surface movableV beneath and in close proximity to said screw, and a supply chute for directing upright receptacles in succession directly upon said disk surface and directly toward said screw axis at an angle of approximately forty-live degrees relative to the screw axis.

3. In combination, a feed screw rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, a disk having a substantially horizontal receptacle supporting surface movable beneatlr and in close proximity to said screw, a supply chute for directing upright receptacles in succession upon said disk surand a resiliently supported guide extending parallel to said screw axis away from said chute and spaced laterally therefrom above said disk, the delivery end of said chute being disposed in close proximity to the receiving throat formed by said screw and guide.

4. In combination, a can feed screw revolvable about a horizontal axis, a disk having a horizontal can supporting surface movable to deliver the cans to said screw, a can supply chute directed downwardly toward said surface and toward said screw at an angle of approximately forty-ve degrees relative to the screw axis, and a can guide extend-ing away from said chute above said surface and parallel to the axis of said screw, the delivery end of said chute being disposed in close proximity to the receiving throat formed by said screw and guide.

5. In combination, a can feed screw revolvable about a horizontal axis, a can feed disk revolvable'about a vertical axis and having a peripheral can transporting surface movable to deliver the cans to the intake end of said screw, a can supply chute extending downwardly toward said disk and toward said screw at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees relative to the axis of revolution of said screw, and a resiliently supported can guide extending away from said chute over said disk and parallel to said axis, the delivery end of said chute being disposed in close proximity to the receiving throat formed by said screw and guide. v

' FRANK D. CHAPMAN. 

